Automobile-signal.



DE WITTE T. NEIL.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3!. 19m.

1 274,309. Patented July 30, 1918.

INVENTOH @EZZ BY DE WITTE T. NEIL, OF HOMER, LOUISIANA.

AUTOMOBILE-SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DE Wrrrn T. NEIL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Homer, in theparish of Claiborne and State of Louisiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Signals,of which the following is a specification. i

This invention is a signal of that type adapted for'use on motorvehicles whereby the driver may indicate a contemplated turn to eitherthe right or the left, and the primary object of the invention is toavoid the necessity for removing one hand from the steering wheel andsticking it out at the side of the ear to serve as a signal. Anotherobject is to simplify the structure of this device and render itapplicable to automobiles of a variety of types, especially if they areprovided with wind shields. Still another object is to render the signalwaterproof as far as possible, and simple in construction so that itwill not get out of order.

These and other objects are carried out by constructing the signal inthe manner more fully hereinafter described and claimed, and as shown inthe drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the signal, takenfrom a position inside of the car looking forward toward the windshield.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through one end of the signaltube, showing the left-hand signal displayed or opened out. F Fig. 3 isa cross section on the line 3-3 of Th Fig. 1 of the drawings I haveillustrated as much of a left-hand drive automobile as is necessaiy togive a clear under standing of this invention and its location thereon.That is to say, S is the steering wheel at the upper end of the steeringtube T, C designates the cowl dash, U are uprights from the latter, andW is the ordinary wind shield carried by the said uprights. No inventionis claimed for these details and they are shown in this view merely toive the relative position of the signal itself.

Coming now to the present invention, the numeral 1 designates ahorizontal tube disposed across the inside of the wind shield andconnected with and supported by no rights U, and this tube willdoubtless be made ornamental by nickle plating or brass plating, or thelike, so that it will present a neat appearance. It is shown in Fig. las Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicationfiled January 31, 1918.

Patented July 30, 1918.

Serial No. 214,676.

interrupted at a point just forward of the steering wheel S, and theinterruption may be complete as illustrated or it may be only that thetube is here provided with a slot or'a pair of slots through which theactuating mechanism projects as described below. Each end of the tube isreduced by preference as shown at 2, and a cap or closure 3 is providedadapted to overly the end of the tube and close it in a substantiallywaterproof manner. The numeral 4 designates the signal proper, which maybe a fabric flag, preferably colored, or it may be, and is herein shownas consisting of an accordion fan which opens when projected from andcloses when retracted into the tube in a manner well known to those whohave seen these fans. The numeral 5 designates a rod leading from theclosure 3 into the reduced end 2 of the tube 1, and on this rod ismounted an enlargement 6 which constitutes the handle of the folding fanas will be clearly understood. The rod 5 extends inward, and ispreferably carried through a guide 7 within the tube 1, and within theinterrupted portion of the latter the rod is also provided with anupstanding pin or other device 8 serving as means by which it may beactuated, since this device projects beyond the tube toward the driveras far as desired. If the entire tube is secured to the uprights U ashas been above suggested, the actuating device or pin 8 may be longenough to permitthe operator to manipulate it with his foot, or it maybe made long enough to extend close to the steering wheel S so that theoperator may manipulate it by hand without moving the hand from thewheel. It will be understood that a similar arrangement exists withrelation to the right-hand signal which in Fig. 1 is'not shown asdisplayed, and therefore the operator is at liberty to move eithersignal outward, according to the direction in which he is about to turn,and if the signal is of the type of fan suggested above it will open asit is moved outward and close again as it is brought inward, the closure3 finally protecting it thoroughly from the elements. One advantagearising from the use of an automobile signal of this type is that it maybe applied to any of the standard automobiles now in use, either at thetime the machines are built or subsequently; and if the machine shouldbe a right-hand drive, instead of a left-hand drive as shown, the

tube 1 would merely have to be reversed so that its interruptionWouldcorne at the right side instead of at the left side. As abovesuggested, the interruption might be complet-e, or it may be that thetube need only be slotted so that the actuating devices shall projectthrough the slot within reach-of'the operators foot or hand according totheir length. I do not wish to be limited to the detailsof constructionfurther than as set.

forth below. V 7 What I claim as new is I r y r In an automobile signal,the combination with a tube adapted to be fixed forward of the steeringmechanism, interrupted in its ,length byan opening,'and having its endreduced. in size, and a guide within. said copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the *Gomm WasmngtomD G.

tube; of a rod movable longitudinally along the axis of the tube andthrough said guide and having an enlargement moving within the reducedportion of the tube, a folding signal carried by the enlargement and at-I M DE WITTE T. EIL Witnesses: I j i FRED F. MEADOWS,

T. T. LARED.

issioner of'latenta, l w

